


Never a Bridesmaid

by melagan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, Growing Old Together, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 01:57:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8647357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melagan/pseuds/melagan
Summary: As far as native ceremonies go, John and Rodney are old hands by now at getting hitched.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Schmoop: Wedding-consummation  
> Beta: em_kellesvig
> 
> This is a post of an older work that I wrote sometime ago for schmoop_bingo

John stretched, trying to get his back muscles to loosen up. He was getting too old for these ceremonial gatherings. They’d sat for hours on a pile of cushions while being fed from fancy platters of food, and plied with drink. It might sound luxurious but the Pegasus natives needed to learn the value of good back support. 

John shook his head and then groaned when he moved the wrong way. His back was never going to be the same. With a rueful smile, John was ready to admit that, after all these years together, it seemed like McKay was rubbing off on him. 

“Hey, Rodney!” John yelled into the bathroom, making sure Rodney could hear him over the sound of the shower. “Is the water hot yet?”

Rodney sputtered back, “Of course it is! Get your lazy ass in here and I’ll work on those muscles. I know they’re bothering you. You stopped with the slouching an hour ago.”

“Gee, you say the nicest things.” John shuffled over to the shower, “Ow, ow, ow.”

“Boots being a bitch to get off again? Get in here and I’ll help you get undressed. The shower is big enough and it’s not going to hurt anything to get your clothes wet.” 

“You want me to get in the shower while I’m still dressed?”

“Well, excuse me. I’m already wet and naked. I’m not going to get out and get dressed in order to help you out of your clothes. Just get in here.” 

John opened his mouth and closed it. Rodney actually had a pretty good point. And he was in the hot shower, where John wanted to be. Naked. Probably he was already slippery with soap, with his skin flushed warm and touchable -- John stepped into shower.

The water felt good, even soaking through his clothes. He closed his eyes, sighing in bliss at the way the heat was already easing his sore muscles. He stood there and let himself be manhandled out of his shirt, just slitting his eyes open enough to peek at Rodney.

McKay’s hair was a little thinner on top and his crows-feet were etched deeper then they’d been a few years ago, but so were the laugh lines around his mouth. John liked to think he had a lot to do with that. 

Then Rodney was down on one knee working to untie John’s wet laces and John had to swallow to catch his breath. Had to, because there was no way he was going to find the right words. No way could he describe what it did to him to see McKay kneeling naked in front of him, doing this. Rodney didn’t bend for anyone, just like he never backed down from an opinion when he was sure he was right. But this, this, he gave to John without guile or concern. Besides, John had to admit, the view was spectacular. 

Water sprayed down over Rodney and the steamy heat brought a flush to his pale skin. It caught in the curls at his groin and beaded up in tiny droplets that hung on his eyelashes. John reached out and gently ran his fingers over the curve of Rodney’s bent neck. How the hell did he ever get so lucky?

“Not afraid of bad luck on our wedding day, McKay?” The words came out thick and not like John had intended at all. Thank god, Rodney just ran roughshod over it, completely ignoring the emotion behind the words. 

“Oh, please. If you’re referring to seeing the bride before the ceremony, I’m quite sure you mean it’s supposed to be bad luck if you see the bride in her wedding dress. Not that I mind you being the bride for a change but…” Rodney stopped to pull John’s boots off.  
“Last time I looked, this was no bridal dress and technically the wedding was over two hours ago.” 

John had to smile at the way McKay just tossed the boots out of the shower in complete disregard to any mess he was making. They joined John’s shirt with a sodden thump and Rodney began to work on getting John’s wet pants down over his hips. 

“So, _technically_ we’re on our honeymoon.” 

“You’re trying to leer, aren’t you? Stop. You’re going to strain something. What was this, our thirtieth or thirty-first go round? Honestly John, it’s been eight years; you’d think the people in this galaxy would get tired of insisting we get hitched in their quaint little ceremonies.”

“They like seeing us get married, Rodney. Ronon says it makes them feel secure, like we’re investing something of ourselves here. That it makes them feel like we aren’t just going to abandon them to the Wraith and hightail it back to Earth on a whim.”

Rodney gave a grumpy harrumph and carefully slid the pants down and off John’s feet. His warm, callused thumb smoothed gently over John’s ankle. A moment later, the pants where thrown out and joined the pile of wet clothes.

“I know what Ronon says, Sheppard. Frankly, I blame you for starting all this when you claimed I _belonged_ to you. Then, you told the locals that they had to go through you to get permission before I’d agree to fix anything.” 

McKay’s words might have held a scowl but his hands were gentle on John’s body and John sort of melted into them. Rodney had rubbed his ankles for pity’s sake. That was... well, he didn’t know what that was, exactly, but it was intimate and tender and Rodney just blew John’s mind when he did things like that. 

Rodney stood up and John pulled him into a hug. 

“Got tired of everyone thinking they could kidnap you every time our backs were turned.” He paused to slide his fingers in between Rodney’s before growling softly in Rodney’s ear, “Besides, genius, you do belong to me.” 

“Oh. I. Well, um. Yes.” Rodney seemed suddenly fascinated with John’s chest. “I suppose I can’t complain that it’s finally stopped every hussy from thinking she or he can just drag you off and have their wicked way with you.”

John grinned. “Well, at least they kept the ceremony simple this time. I have to admit though, I was rather fond of the one where you had to wear harem pants.” 

John reached down and gave Rodney’s ass a little squeeze. Damn, it felt good. “So, are we clean enough for your delicate sensibilities, now? Because bed is looking better and better.”

“Give me a minute. I’m not quite done here. This tendency of yours to hustle me into bed is going to give blushing brides a bad name everywhere.” 

John just hummed into McKay’s broad shoulder because now Rodney had his arms around him and was soaping every part of John’s back that he could reach. “Mmmmm, feels good. Now I know why I married you.”

“And here I thought it was for the incredible sex.”

“That too.”

Ten minutes later, Rodney had John soaped up and rinsed off from head to toe. He had the shower off, towels wrapped around both of them, and he was guiding John toward the turned down covers on their bed. 

“Sex?”

“Hope springs eternal in you, doesn’t it, Colonel. Sorry, no. I’m not risking putting my bride’s back out just to celebrate today’s events. However, I do have a plan. I suggest we consummate our wedding night with Snickers bars and a movie.”

“Why, Rodney, if you’re willing to risk chocolate and peanut crumbs in our bed, it must be love.”

Rodney didn’t say anything for a minute, just reached out and laid his hand over John’s. He leaned in for a kiss, and John almost missed the soft words spoken against his mouth. 

“Of my life, John Sheppard. Of my life.”

~*~


End file.
